“Love as Christ loved...” Is there any other command in all of Scripture that is more demanding? I think not, and no man should require that His wife fulfill the first part of this passage (“Wives submit your husbands,”) until he has satisfied his side of the deal.

 

It is interesting that the passage begins with “as the church submits to Christ...”, because it seems that the church has always been slow to obey and always had expectations concerning how the Lord was going to fulfill His Word or establish His Kingdom that did not involve Him or her going to the Cross.

 

How many wives are skeptical of their husband’s leadership? When Jesus came to the moment of truth – when it came time to fulfill His ultimate calling on this earth – all his disciples fled and Peter even denied Him three times. If those who had spent three years of intense teaching and togetherness with the Perfect Man – who had seen the miracles and tasted of His glory – could not remain faithful in His hour of trouble, then why should any man alive today expect his wife to do better trusting and obeying him.

 

Paul speaks with a certainty that the Lord’s church DOES submit to the Lord Jesus as the veil of flesh in our hearts is rent, the magnitude of His love displayed at the Cross is revealed, and the enabling power of the Spirit of God is poured into a believer. Could it be that in God’s eyes we are not even qualified to be called the Church until His Spirit begins to live through us.

 

If a man does begin to lay down his life for his wife, even in part, it is only by the power of God working within him. If a wife submits to a husband, who is not walking perfectly with the Lord as if he were, it will be because she was enabled by the Resurrection outpouring of the Spirit of God Himself. To her credit she has received the Gift that comes from God alone and not from any man.

 

God holds both the husband and the wife accountable to this standard regardless of the cooperation of the spouse because of the excellency of the Spirit He has made available to each one through Jesus Christ. For both the husband and the wife it involves the crucifixion of every natural tendency and ability, and requires leaning wholly upon Him.